Soria is a Spanish municipality and city, capital of the homonymy province, and situated in the East of the autonomous community of Castile-León. It has a population of 39,114 inhabitants (INE, 2018), forming the 43.7% of the province’s population. The municipal term has an area of 271.77 km2, with a density of 144.13 inhabitants per km2. It is situated at 1,063 meters above the sea level, being the second Spanish provincial capital with more height above the sea level after Ávila.
Leonor Izquierdo Cuevas (June 12, 1894, Soria – August 1 1912, Soria) was the wife and inspiration source of the Spanish writer Antonio Machado. Their marriage took place in 1909 and she died from tuberculosis, which she contracted in Paris in the year 1911. Her death happened three years after getting married and one year after becoming ill. She was buried in the cemetery named El Espino in Soria. A year later, her poet husband, who left Soria’s capital after her death, asked a friend to visit her grave with these immortal lyrics:
With the first lilies,
and the first roses from the gardens,
on a blue afternoon, climb to El Espino,
to the high Espino where her land is.
It is a tradition of Soria’s City Hall going to her memorial stone, placed in the municipal cemetery of Soria, with a wreath each February 22, date of the death anniversary of the universal author Antonio Machado. This tradition is performed since 2011 as a token of gratefulness to Machado and his wife for making Soria known to the rest of Spain and Europe.
Before travelling to Soria, we recommend checking the meteorological situation in the city. No matter if it is on rainy, snowy, or sunny days, Soria is a beautiful city for sightseeing; but it is more convenient to be prepared with the adequate clothing depending on the weather.
Normally, the business hours of the shops and services of Soria are from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00. On Saturday afternoon, only a small number of shops are open. On Sundays and public holidays, in most of the cases, the shops in Soria are closed.
The shopping malls are open from Monday to Saturday and from 10:00 to 22:00. On Sundays and public holidays, they are usually closed. However, by clicking on the following link you can check the business hours in 2019 (in Spanish).
Urgency Services: 112
National Police: 091
Guardia Civil (Spanish military police): 062
Information of Soria’s City Hall: 975 23 41 00
Soria’s code: 975
